Antigenic and phenotypic variations in fungi

Cell Microbiol. 2009 Dec;11(12):1716-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2009.01384.x. Epub 2009 Sep 21.

Abstract

Mechanisms to vary the phenotypic characteristics of fungi are diverse and can be important for their life cycle. This review summarizes phenotypic variability in fungi and divides this phenomenon into three topics: (i) morphological transitions, which are environmentally induced and involve the entire fungal population, (ii) reversible phenotypic switching between different colony morphologies, which is restricted to a small fraction of the population, and (iii) antigenic variation of surface antigens, which can be immuno-dominant epitopes happens in individual fungal cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Animals
  • Antigenic Variation*
  • Biodiversity
  • Fungi / cytology
  • Fungi / physiology*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Mycoses / immunology
  • Mycoses / microbiology
  • Phenotype*